In a time when B2C portals are sinking below the
horizon, NTUC is looking into a B2C portal to serve its members better.
Can good intentions buoy this portal?

SINGAPORE - NTUC, the biggest union group in Singapore
wants to serve its members via the Internet and it is pondering a B2C portal to
increase their interaction online.

"We could have a centralized portal that provides
links to our insurance, supermarket, pharmacy and childcare centers, or continue
to improve on our existing supply chain to our business partners," Martin
Tsang shared with ZDNetAsia, "or we could do both."

With more than 300,000 members from 70 trade unions in its
register, the newly-appointed CIO wants to create a rich experience that goes
beyond the traditional dividends and rebates given out each year.

Martin explains that the NTUC has a strong brand name that
everyone remembers. At their Fairprice supermarkets, the cashier never fails to
ask whether you hold an NTUC Link Card which members could use for rebates.

He admits that although every co-operative unit is doing
well on its own...the question remains on how we could serve them better under
one banner.

NTUC Comfort taxis is a separate business and was listed on
the Stock Exchange of Singapore in 1997.

More page views preferred
The challenges that lie ahead for the IT-veteran is how to make their website
more sticky for their members and other browsers. Before that can happen,
members need to have PCs and Internet connections. "That was why we have
the S$1 a day PC promotion where a member can pay by installments over three
years for a S$1,000 PC. I’m happy to say that more than 10,000 members have
subscribed."

With that kind of response, it is no wonder Martin is
hoping for a similar success rate if NTUC offers B2C services on its website.

Currently
their web site has roughly 65K page views a month, and Martin thinks that this
figure is too low.

"We
are reviewing our strategy for the web sites and I don't have any planned
figures. However, we are a bit ambitious and are looking at 10 times the page
views, if possible within the next 12 months," said the determined CIO.

Every which way he takes, Martin Tsang can't lose because their existing
website already says that it is the one-stop service hub for unionists and
members.

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